A dressmaker made famous by the TV show Big Fat Gypsy Weddings has been accused of treating one of her staff 'like an animal', and almost attacking her head designer after a shouting match.

Thelma Madine, 61, who makes dresses which have featured on the hit Channel 4 show series exploring the raucous marriage ceremonies of Britain's travelling community, was accused of mistreating her staff today during an employment tribunal.

Pauline Wooley, whose daughter Leanne Phillips, 31, was head designer at Nico Bridal Company until she was dismissed after the incident last year, gave evidence suggesting Ms Madine routinely mistreated her staff.

Tribunal: Thelma Madine, 61, (left) is being sued for
unfair dismissal and £1,200 in wages by former employee Leanne Phillips,
31, (right) after she was fired last Christmas

Collaborators: Ms Phillips, left, and Ms Madine, right, posing with a dress made of hair

Ms Wooley, who is currently suspended from her role as Assistant Manager at the company, told the court hearing in Liverpool that she was 'treated like a dog' by her employer, who had also been a close friend for more than 20 years.

She claimed that she had to physically restrain Ms Madine after she advanced angrily on her daughter after she intervened in an argument by calling Ms Madine a 'horrible b****'.

The dispute, on 18 October last year, led to Miss Phillips being dismissed from her job. She is now pursuing her former employer for unfair dismissal and £1,200 of outstanding wages.

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Ms Wooley, who says she has been suspended from her job for nine weeks without pay, told the tribunal: 'Thelma treated me like an animal. She intimidated me and she bullied me. Leanne was just defending her mother.

'Thelma started the whole argument - she had treated me really badly. She was screaming so loud her face went red and her veins were sticking out of her neck.

'Thelma advanced aggressively at Leanne, and I had to pull Thelma away. The way she reacted was disgusting.'

The court also heard that Miss Phillips had known her employer from the age of four and said she saw Ms Madine 'as like an aunt'.

Ms Madine shot to fame after her dressmaking
business Nico was featured on Channel 4's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding for
making elaborate wedding gowns for the travelling community

Ms Madine was said to have treated her like a member of the family - even giving her a lavish sports car for her 30th birthday.

Ms Wooley said: 'Leanne thought the world of Thelma, and Thelma treated her like a daughter.'

However, Peter Maratos, an employment expert speaking on behalf of Ms Madine, said that Miss Phillips was 'spoiled' and 'over-reacted' after the publicity from featuring on the TV programme had 'gone to her head'.

'Like family': The tribunal heard how Miss Phillips, pictured at court earlier this week, looked up to Ms Madine and thought of her like an aunt

Ms Madine was also accused of botching a disciplinary process launched after Miss Phillips tried to appeal her sacking.

The court heard that she sought legal advice from her company lawyer Neil Gouldson, who then led the investigation, which accused her of encouraging her mother to act insubordinately, bullying co-workers, and making racist comments.

Miss Phillips' solicitor, Steve Pinder, said: 'Ms Madine made a number of very serious errors. Her approach to the whole disciplinary process was flawed. Ms Madine made it clear that she would not have taken Miss Phillips back, even after the appeal.'

Mr Maratos defended the set-up, saying: 'In this case family relationships had deteriorated. Thelma's position had been undermined - the position was untenable.

'However Ms Madine handled the process, it would have still resulted in a dismissal. The investigation gave the respondent reasonable belief of misconduct.'

Judge Vincent Ryan reserved judgement on the case at the request of Mr Maratos, and an outcome is expected to be delivered by the end of the month.

He said: 'It is extremely sad when relationships of over 20 years come to this.

'No one will be happy with the argument - it is sad.'

The court case comes one year after Ms Madine published her autobiography, Tales of The Gypsy
Dressmaker, in which she praised Miss Phillips.

She
wrote: 'Leanne is now the head designer at Nico and is starting to
oversee parts of the process that I had to do, which is great, because
it means that I can concentrate on other parts of the business.

Over the top: Nico Bridal Company produced wedding dresses for Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, such as the one pictured

Extreme: The show became famous for the lavish wedding outfits it featured

'I
used to feel that every one of my dresses was like my baby and that no
one could do them as well as me but I know now that the future of Nico
is in Leanne's hands.

'Since
she started working for me, Leanne has taken Nico to another level. Not
only that, she also inherited her mum Pauline's determination and
loyalty.

'And I have to admit that she reminds me of me at her age, full of imaginative ideas and passion for the task in hand.'

Ms Madine has denied the claims, while Miss Phillips maintains that she was treated unfairly and denies any wrongdoing.